Free-wheel and back-pedaling brake mechanism.



B. SACHS.

FREE WHEEL AND BACK PEDALING BRAKE MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24' 1910 1,017,472, Patented Feb. 13,1912.

Witnesses.

the hub barrel 4 of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST SACHS, OF SGHWEINFURT, GERMANY.

FREE-WHEEL AND BAGK-IEDALING BRAKE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 24,

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

1910. Serial No. 578,776.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enns'r SAoHs, a subject of the King of Bavaria,residing at No. 24 Schultesstrasse, Schweini'urt, in Germany, haveinvented new and useful Imrovements in Free- Vheel and Back-Pedal mgBrake Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in free wheel cycle hubs withback-pedalins brake mechanism in which either the driving coupling orthe means expanding the brakesleeve are composed of a set of Eriction-reducing members forced between two sleeve-shaped parts of themechanism in their operative engagement and released in theirinoperative position. Coupling of the parts is effected in the forwardrotation of the mechanism, while pedaling in the reverse directionapplies the brake by means of the brake actuating device.

The object of the invention is to so connect the driving element withthe brakeact-uating mechanism that the latter is at a rest during theforward movement of the c cle, thus avoiding undue friction. This 0 jectis attained by the insertion of a convenient coupling between the driverand the brake, which coupling is automatically engaged with the brakeduring rearward rotatlon of the driver.

A further object of the invention is the special construction andarrangement of the intermediate mechanism, by which the brake may beseparated from the driving elements as a unitary construction the partsof which remain in their respective positions.

The mechanism is shown in the drawing which is to be considered as apart of this specification and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection of a cycle hub constructed in accordance with t iis invention;Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line A-B of Fig. 1, looking to theright.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line (3-D of Fig. 1 looking to theleft. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line E--F, looking to the left.

Like reference characters denote like parts throughout all figures ofthe drawing.

Upon the axle 'u of the rear wheel of the cycle a sleeve 0 is rotatablymounted in any well known manner. This sleeve, which is hereinaftercalled the driver, extends into the rear wheel and is rigidly connectedon its outer end with a power transmitting appliance, for instance, asprocket wheel I), while between the hub shell a and the said driverthere is interposed a coupling mechanism comprising members, such asrollers 6, located in pockets or depressions in the circumference of thedriver 6. The bottoms of the roller pockets are inclined faces graduallyascending outwardly in the direction of reverse rotation. This couplingof known type is brought to engagement with the adjacent inneriflllldric face of the huh (I, when the driver is he ing rotatedforwardly, but'is automatically disengaged when the driver is retardedor stopped in which case the rollers e are moved to the deeper portionof the pockets and withheld from. contact with the hub a by a containeror guide-ring f in the recesses or perforations f which theyare'cmitainml and spaced, as shown in Figs. land 4, while stops at thefront ends of the pockets limit the shifting of the rollers and lockthem against the rear sides of the recesses in the container, as shownclearly in Fig. 4. From the opposite left hand side of the guidering 1projects a tubular extension f hav ing recesses z" in which pawls i ofany con venient, for example, semi-circular, shape are located andspriug-loaded if desired. The said pawls eugage with their free ends ininternal ratchet teeth 9 of a rim g formed on a sleeve 9 which isrotatable on the axle o. The number and position of the pawls 27 andteeth 9' may bedisposed in any desired relation, for instance, only onepawl may be brought to engagement, as shown in Fig. 3, or all of themmay be simultaneously brought into action. However, connection of thesleeve 9 with the ring f is effected by the said ratchet gear, only whenthe driver is relatively rotated backwardly, while for ward movementautomatically throws the pawls 2' out of engagement with the ratchclteeth 9 so that the sleeve g is not operated. Thesaid ratchet gearproduces a slight friction which tends to check the rotation of theguide ring f, therewith controlling the movement of the rollers erelatively to the driver.

The brake is constructed as follows. A convenient number of depressionsor pockets k are formed on the circumference of the sleeve g, whichpockets gradually ascend lion, rollers it being placed therein oppositeto, and encircled by a brake cylinder, composed of a sleeve 1 made ofsteel or other resilient material and a sleeve 8 of braking material,such as brass or the like, both sleeves being longitudinally slit andconnected with one another in any suitable manner, whereby theirrelative rotation is prevcllted, although they are capable of freeexpansion. The said combined brake cylinder is attached, by means of akey 7* for example. to the left bearing cone 1) (Fig. 1) which can beimmovably fixed to the cycleframe by a lever u, as usual with free wheelhubs. The rollers h are guided and spaced through a retainer ring a, sothat they are simultaneously caused to engage the sleeve. A split ring asprung into a circumferential groove of the sleeve outside an in wardlydirected flange of the retainer ring it is provided for the purpose oflimiting the axial movement of the ring a with respect to the saidsleeve g. In order to connect the brake cylinder to its expanding means,so as to form a unitary appliance which can be drawn from the axle, ascrew i provided in the cylinder, its point engaging a. hole or slit ofthe retainer ring a. Where such connection is not desired, the screw maybe dispensed avith.

The free-wheel andbrake-mechanism is operated as hereinafter described.When the rider rotates the treadles'with the aim of propelling thecycle, the corresponding movement of the driver a presses the couplingroller 6 against the inner face of the hub a by the action of theinclined pockets, thereby coupling the driver and the hub, so that thepower is transmitted to the rear wheel which is driven in the sense offorward movement of the cycle. The clutch 2'. being inoperative in theforward rotation of the driver, no movement will be imparted to thesleeve g which will remain at rest. The stopping of the driver has theeffect of automatically uncoupling the same from the hub as the latterwill in its rotation move the rollers e to the deeper ends of therespectivepockets, until they no more contact the hub. In this normalposition the gear is immobilized by the checking efl'ect of the ring g,for which reason the rear wheel is also capable of free rotation, whenthe cycle is pushed backward. Reverse motion of the driver causes thepawls z to engage the ratchet teeth 9 of the sleeve g which is thereforerotated in the same direction, whereby the rollers h expand thebrakecylinder which is pressed against the inner face of the hub a andbrakes the latter.

The piston-reducing members of the driving coupling and of the expandingappliance may be of any known shape, and the clutch between the saidelements may also'bc of another convenient and known construction.

I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the iletails illustrated forpurpose of example, Jut

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a free Wheel and brake mechanism for cycle hubs, the combinationwith a driver, of a wheel hub, a friction-reduo ing driving couplingbetween the said driver and the wheel hub, a brake expanding mechanismspaced from the driving coupling longitudinally oi the hub, and a clutchprovided between the said driving coupling and the brake-expandingmechanism, the said clutch being operative only in the reverse r0tation.

2. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination with a driver,of a Wheel hub, a friction-reducing coupling capable of connecting thedriver to the wheel hub, a friction-reducing appliance for expanding thebrake spaced from the coupling longitudinally of the hub, and a clutchdevice disposed between the said coupling and said appliance, whichclutch is only operative in the reverse rotation.

3. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination of a driver, ahub, a friction-reducing mechanism adapted to operatively connect thedriver and the hub, a braking member, a friction-reducing mechanismadapted to apply the braking member to the hub, the twofriction-reducing mechanisms bein each complete in itself and separatefrm the other, and a clutch device disposed between and operative in onedirection of rotation to connect the said mechanisms.

4. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination with a drivingmechanism, of a brake applying mechanism spaced fron! the drivingmechanism axially, and a clutch arranged to transmit the power from thedriving mechanism to the brake-applying mechanism, which clutch isoperable only in the reverse rotation.

5. In a free wheel'and brake mechanism,

the combination with a driving mechanism having friction-reducingmembers and a retainer ring for the said members, of a brake applyingfriction-reducing mechanism, and a clutch separate from and disposedbetween the two mechanisms and adapted to connect said retainer ring tothe brake-applying mechanism in the reverse rotation.

6. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination with a hub, anda driving mechanism, of a brake applying mechanism, comprising arotatable sleeve having inclined pockets and movable members located insaid pockets and caused thereby to act against the hub, and a clutchadapted to connect the driving mechanism to the said r0- tatable sleevein the reverse rotation.

7. In a free wheel and brake mechanism,

' bers located in t the combination with a driver, of a wheel hub, acoupling having movable members adapted to connect the driver with thehub, a retainer ring for controlling the said members having a tubularprojection, a clutch mounted upon the said projection, and abrake-applying device engaged by the said clutch in the reverserotation.

' 8. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination with a drivingcoupling, of a clutch connected with one end of the said coupling, arotatable sleeve adapted to be engaged at one end by the said clutch inthe reverse rotation and having inclined pockets, movable memberslocated in said pockets and a non rotatable brake c linder capable ofbeing expanded by the sai members with their movement in the sense ofreverse rotation.

9. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination with a rotatablesleeve adapted to be operatively engaged with the driving mechanism inthe reverse motion, said sleeve havinlg inclined pockets, of meme saidpockets, so as to be forced outward with the rotation of the sleeve, astationary brake cylinder encircling the said members, a retainer ringcontrol mg the said members, means for securing the retainer ring on thesaid sleeve, and means positively connecting the retainer ring with thebrake cylinder.

10. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination with a driver,of a Wheel hub, a driving coupling having movable members adapted toconnect the driver and the hub, a retainer ring for controlling the saidmembers, a clutch provided on the said retainer ring, a rotatable sleeveadapted to be connected to the driving coupling by the said clutch inthe reverse rotation, said sleeve having inclined pockets, movablemembers located in said pockets, a stationary brake cylinder adapted tobe expanded by the action of the inclined pockets and the movablemembers therein, and a retainer ring spacing the brake-actuatingmembers.

11. In a free wheel and brake mechanism, the combination of a drivingmechanism, a brake mechanism, a clutch arranged to con nect saidmechanisms, said clutch and said mechanisms being spaced longitudinallyof a common axis, and a hub free of and inclos' ing said clutch and saidmechanisms and arranged to be engaged by said mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I have'signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST SACHS.

Witnesses:

A. V. CQTTER, MATHILnEtK. HELD.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,017,472.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,017,472, grantedFebruary 13,,1912, upon the application of Ernst Sachs. of Schweinfurt,Germany, for an improvement in Free-Wheel and 'Back-Pedaling BrakeMechanism," an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 2, line 61, for the compound wordpiston-reducing read friction-reducing; and that the I said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 11th day 'of June, A. D., 1912.

h C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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